Penstemon plant named &#39;watermelon taffy&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Penstemon  plant characterized by large dark pink edged flowers with a clear white throat, long bloom time, a compact, upright, well branched habit, with multiple crown from the base, clean-looking, deep green, attractive foliage, and excellent vigor.

BOTANICAL DENOMINATION

Penstemon hybrid

VARIETY DESIGNATION

‘Watermelon Taffy’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofPenstemon, given the name, ‘Watermelon Taffy’. Penstemon is in thefamily Scrophulariaceae. This plant originated a controlled breedingplan to create a compact, upright, large flowered series. The exactparents are unknown, unnamed proprietary plants. This cultivar wasselected for its compact growing habit, large flowers in dense clusters,long flowering time, vigor, and clean attractive look. It is an idealplant for a sunny border in full sun.

Compared to Penstemon ‘Strawberry Taffy’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,569),the new cultivar has a clear white throat rather than the maroon beetracks on the bottom of the throat.

Compared to Penstemon ‘Pheni Pinka’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 17,912), thenew cultivar has a smaller habit and flowers that are darker pink withno red markings on the throat.

Penstemon ‘Watermelon Taffy’ is uniquely distinguished by its:

1. large dark pink edged flowers with a clear white throat,

2. long bloom time,

3. compact, upright, well branched habit, with multiple crown from thebase,

4. clean-looking, deep green, attractive foliage, and

5. excellent vigor.

The new variety has been reproduced only by asexual propagation(cuttings and micropropagation). Each of the progeny exhibits identicalcharacteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by cuttingsand micropropagation using terminal and lateral shoots as done in Canby,Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions cometrue to form and are established and transmitted through succeedingpropagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary withvariations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows the new cultivar in the garden in full bloom in mid July inCanby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Penstemon cultivarbased on observations of two-year-old specimens grown outside in theground in the garden in Canby, Oreg. in late July. The colordescriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart, 5^(th) edition.

-   Plant:    -   -   Type.—herbaceous perennial.        -   Form.—upright, branching.        -   Cold hardiness.—USDA Zone 7-10.        -   Size.—grows to 37 cm wide and 70 cm high.        -   Vigor.—excellent.        -   Stem number.—about 18 stems from the crown.        -   Stem.—upright, grows to 52 cm long and 6 mm wide (at the            base), glabrous, internodes grow to 5 cm long, Yellow Green            145C.        -   Rooting.—plants root easily from stem cuttings.-   Leaf:    -   -   Type.—simple.        -   Arrangement.—opposite.        -   Shape.—lanceolate.        -   Venation.—pinnate, main vein on top and bottom side Yellow            Green 145C.        -   Margins.—entire.        -   Apex.—acuminate.        -   Base.—sessile.        -   Blade size.—grows to 11.2 cm long and 2.1 cm wide.        -   Surface texture.—glabrous on both sides.        -   Leaf color.—topside Green 137A, bottom side closest to            Yellow Green 146B.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—terminal, many flowered, dense thyrse.        -   Number of flowers per inflorescence.—22 on average.        -   Size of inflorescence.—grows to 23 cm long and 9 cm wide.        -   Peduncle.—grows to 5 cm long and 4 mm wide, glabrous, Yellow            Green 145B.        -   Pedicel.—grows to 10 mm long and 1 mm wide, pubescent,            Yellow Green 147C.        -   Bloom period.—mid June to frost in October in Canby, Oreg.            if spent flowers are removed.-   Flower bud:    -   -   Size.—3.2 cm long and 14 mm wide.        -   Description.—closed tubular, bulging, flattened ventrically.        -   Color.—White 155A except Red 51A on lobes and 51C tinted on            top.-   Flower:    -   -   Type.—zygomorphic, perfect.        -   Shape.—tubular, bilabiate.        -   Size.—grows to 4 cm long and 4 cm wide.        -   Corolla description.—grows to 4 cm long and 4 cm wide; tube            is funnel-form in the calyx for 6 mm long and 5 mm wide,            inflating for 25 mm long to 17 mm wide, flaring into 5            lobes, the two smaller top lobes flare back (13 mm wide and            to 12 mm deep) and two larger lateral lobes flare out (18 mm            wide and 11 mm deep), and the lower lobe flares down (16 mm            wide and 12 mm deep), lobe margins entire to slightly            jagged, tips obtuse; outside glandular pubescent, inside            sparsely pubescent; outside color White NN155B on tube            except on top where Red Purple N57C, lobes Red Purple 61A ;            inside color on edges Red Purple 58B blending to Red 55A on            the lobes for 5 to 7 mm then White NN155C.        -   Calyx description.—10 mm deep and 7 mm wide, 5 overlapping            lobes cut to the base, each lobe broadly ovate in shape, 10            mm deep and 6 mm wide, margins entire, tip acute, base            cuneate, Yellow Green 146C, glabrous inside and pubescent            outside.        -   Pistil description.—1, 33 mm long, ovary 6 mm long and 3 mm            wide, Yellow Green 145A; style 27 mm long and less than 1 mm            wide, stigma Red Purple 61A on bottom half and White NN155C            on top half, style White NN155C.        -   Stamen description.—5, one sterile without an anther, held            within the corolla 30 mm long, filaments 27 to 31 mm long            and White NN155C, anthers 3 mm wide and 3 mm deep, Purple            N79A, pollen White NN155C.        -   Fragrance.—none.        -   Lastingness.—a flower lasts 5 to 6 days.-   Fruit:    -   -   Type.—capsule.        -   Fertility.—good.        -   Size.—1.2 cm deep and 4 mm wide.        -   Color.—Brown 200A to B.-   Seed:    -   -   Shape.—irregular.        -   Size.—2 mm long.        -   Color.—Brown 200A.-   Pests and diseases: The new cultivar is typical to the genus. No    known resistances to pests or diseases. No problems have been found    in Canby, Oreg.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Penstemon plant as herein illustrated anddescribed.